


Not That Bad

by Whistle_Mist



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo 2019: Whistle Mist's Card [12]
Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Child Abuse, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 00:28:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20267041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whistle_Mist/pseuds/Whistle_Mist
Summary: It hadn’t been that bad.That's what Harry told himself.





	Not That Bad

It hadn’t been that bad.

That's what Harry likes to tell himself.

Every time he did something wrong or messed something up, he knew it was his fault. His Dad would get angry, drunk or not a beating always followed. Growing up Harry thought that he’d just have to get used to it.

Harriette, his older sister, had started a gang running off when she was twelve. She ruled over Dragon Hall. In the back of his mind, Harry had thought that when she came back that she was going to take both him and CJ out of there. They’d join her gang, and it may have been a small hope, but it was there.

Instead, there had been a huge fight. Both Harriet and their Dad yelling, cursing and hitting each other, it was chaos. Finally, Harriet had enough and tried to stab him. It was then, a rare moment where Captain Hook had snapped out of his drunken state grabbing her by the hair.

It went from a balanced fight to an unfair one in a matter of seconds. It got violent, he became afraid for his sister, Harry ran over to help only to be backhanded so hard it left him dizzy. Getting up Harry tried to right himself when he noticed that it was only him and CJ.

“Where’s Harriet?” He asked.

“Not returning and you boy?!” Captain hook yelled grabbing Harry by the hair yanking up and then yanking his head back. “You dare attack me?!”

“Augh! Dad, that hurts-!” Harry tried to stop the word from slipping, even though it was too late, a hand slammed him against the wall wrapped tightly around his throat. “D-Dad!”

“Hold your tongue!”

Mouth snapping shut Harry tried not to look at his Dad. Heart hammering so hard he swore he could feel it against his ribs trying to break free and flee. From the side of his eye, he saw CJ with a bag opening a window and Harriet was there pulling their sister out. She had a bloody mouth, the eye was swelling up as bruising set in and a large gash on her chest.

She looked at him with her one good eye looked at him and mouthed. ‘It’s either you or us,’

Then they were gone.

It hurt to lose that last bit hope. At least CJ got out but the pain in his already fragile heart had broken something in him. Whatever it was stayed long after he passed out from being choked and when he woke up in pain.

Shakily Harry forced himself up, trembling as got to the bathroom in the rotting ship, looking into the mirror he could see bruises on his face. Down at his arms, there were marks, punches or kicks of adult hands and feet painted him, it didn’t matter.

His chest was hurt, lungs from lack of air or was it cracked ribs? Picking up his shirt he could see his left side had black and blue bruises too from under his arm all the way down to his hip. Guess the old man had fun taking it out on him.

Going to the door he locked it before climbing into the tub, the coldness from it eased the pain very little. At least he could stay here while he recovered. He swallowed a little bit wincing, the burn of his throat when he did hurt.

Reaching up with both hands he felt around, maybe it was shocking but he hadn’t noticed how much it hurt until now or the swelling. Rubbing his face Harry tried to calm down. It never helped to get over emotional these things because if he did?Then he was going to make noises.

If anything pissed off his Dad more, well, many things do, but crying from his only son would always get him another beating. Sitting up a little Harry shook his head trying to clear it. Something wasn’t clicking in his mind. What even it was set him on edge even more.

Maybe he’d talk to-

No one. 

There was no one else in the home except him and his Dad.

Suddenly it became clear that Harry no longer had his sisters to talk to. Harriet was gone, abandoned me, CJ got away, far from this mad man which meant there was no one else to distract him. He was either drunk or just wanted to toss one of them around.

Whimpering softly realizing that he no longer could rely on his sister’s help a small dry sob left his mouth. In a second Harry grabbed his mouth trying to keep more from leaving. Despite that his throat burned in protest, his side ached in resistance.

Even withholding his mouth shut Harry knew he was making noises. This was proven when there was a twist of the doorknob.

Bright Gray eyes snapped to the so wide they might have popped right out of his skull. In a panic, Harry reached with one hand to turn on the shower as cold water, never hot or warm, always cold like ice shot out of the showerhead.

The loud noise of the shower hide his muffled sobs as he kept his hands clamped over his mouth, eyeing the knob as it stopped moving. Even with the lock, his dad could pick it. After a few minutes when nothing happened he knew that his Dad must have walked off.

Pulling his legs up to his chest Harry put his head down as he sobbed into his hands. The sound of the shower helped ease the fear of being heard, though now it was much worse than before with the abandonment of his sister. The knowledge he was alone now to deal with his father, the realization that wishing for freedom of any sort was just a hopeless dream that wasn’t ever going to come true.

Only heroes got happy endings, kids like Harry could only survive on this Isle with no dreams, no future, and no way out.

It hadn’t been that bad.

That's what Harry likes to tell himself.   
  
  



End file.
